Scary moment in Rome

Activist wanted to storm the Pope’s hospital room!

The world is worried about Pope Francis - it is still unclear whether he has heard anything about today's incident.(Bild: EPA)

Unusual incident on Monday in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis is currently being treated for severe pneumonia. An Argentinian trade unionist and activist tried to get into the pontiff's tightly secured hospital room.

Juan Grabois was stopped by the security forces, as the Italian news agency Ansa reported on Monday. According to the report, Grabois also works as a consultant for a Vatican authority and has met the Pope on several occasions.

Background still unclear
Grabois last met him in September last year at an event for members of social movements. In his native Argentina, the 41-year-old is best known as the leader of a trade union for day laborers and a left-wing politician. The exact background to the incident was initially unclear.

Only close associates allowed to see Francis
Francis, who according to the Vatican is suffering from severe pneumonia, is himself from Argentina. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church has been receiving treatment at the university hospital in the west of Rome for a week and a half.

He is lying there in a strictly secured wing on the tenth floor. The doctors describe his condition as critical. Only his closest collaborators are allowed to see him.